Dry mixing of spice powders - investigation of effect of powder properties on mixture quality of binary powder mixtures

Dry mixing of binary food powders was conducted in a 2L lab-scale paddle mixer. Different types of food powders such as paprika, oregano, black pepper, onion powder and salt were used for the studies. A novel method based on a digital colour imaging system (DCI) was developed to measure the mixture quality (MQ) of binary food powder mixtures. The salt conductivity method was also used as an alternative method to measure the MQ. In the first part of the study the DCI method was developed and it showed potential for assessing MQ of binary powder mixes provided there was huge colour difference between the powders. In the second and third part of the study the effect of composition, water content, particle size and bulk density on MQ was studied. Flowability of powders at various moisture contents was also investigated. The mixing behaviour was assessed using coefficient of variation. Results showed that water content and composition influence the mixing behavior of powders. Good mixing was observed up to size ratios of 4.45 and at higher ratios MQ disimproved. The bulk density had a larger influence on the MQ. In the final study the MQ evaluation of binary and ternary powder mixtures was compared by using two methods – salt conductivity method and DCI method. Two binary food and two quaternary food powder mixtures with different coloured ingredients were studied. Overall results showed that DCI method has a potential for use by industries and it can analyse powder mixtures with components that have differences in colour and that are not segregating in nature.

Infant milk formula manufacture: process and compositional interactions in high dry matter wet-mixes

Infant milk formula (IMF) is fortified milk with composition based on the nutrient content in human mother's milk, 0 to 6 months postpartum. Extensive medical and clinical research has led to advances in the nutritional quality of infant formula; however, relatively few studies have focused on interactions between nutrients and the manufacturing process. The objective of this research was to investigate the impact of composition and processing parameters on physical behaviour of high dry matter (DM) IMF systems with a view to designing more sustainable manufacturing processes. The study showed that commercial IMF, with similar compositions, manufactured by different processes, had markedly different physical properties in dehydrated or reconstituted state. Commercial products made with hydrolysed protein were more heat stable compared to products made with intact protein, however, emulsion quality was compromised. Heat-induced denaturation of whey proteins resulted in increased viscosity of wet-mixes, an effect that was dependant on both whey concentration and interactions with lactose and caseins. Expanding on fundamental laboratory studies, a novel high velocity steam injection process was developed whereby high DM (60%) wet-mixes with lower denaturation/viscosity compared to conventional processes could be achieved; powders produced using this process were of similar quality to those manufactured conventionally. Hydrolysed proteins were also shown to be an effective way of reducing viscosity in heat-treated high DM wet-mixes. In particular, using a whey protein concentrate whereby β-Lactoglobulin was selectively hydrolysed, i.e., α-Lactalbumin remained intact, reduced viscosity of wet-mixes during processing while still providing good emulsification. The thesis provides new insights into interactions between nutrients and/or processing which influence physical stability of IMF both in concentrated liquid and powdered form. The outcomes of the work have applications in such areas as; increasing the DM content of spray drier feeds in order to save energy, and, controlling final powder quality.

Development of block copolymer lithography for device structure fabrication

This thesis investigated well-ordered block copolymer (BCP) thin film characteristics and their use for nanoscale pattern formation using a series of polystyrene-block-polymethylmethacrylate (PS-b-PMMA), polystyrene-blockpolydimethylsiloxane (PS-b-PDMS) and polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) systems of various molecular weights. BCP thin films, which act as an ‘on-chip’ etch mask and material templates, are highly promising self-assembling process for future scalable nanolithography. Unlike conventional BCP processing methods, the work in this thesis demonstrates that well-ordered patterns can be achieved in a few seconds compared to several hours by use of a non-conventional microwave assisted technique. As a result, well-ordered BCP nanoscale structures can be developed in industry appropriate periods facilitating their incorporation into current technologies. An optimised and controlled plasma dry etch process was used for successful pattern transfer to the underlying silicon substrate. Long range ordered BCP templates were further modified by selective metal inclusion technique to form a hard mask template towards fabrication of high aspect ratio nanopillars and nanowires. The work described here is centred on how these templates might be used to generate function at substrate surfaces. Herein we describe a number of innovations which might allow their successful uptake in a number of applications.